Woman says Ga. consumers need more used car protections

Georgia has more than 5,000 used car dealers. Consumer investigator Jim Strickland learned that each time they make a deal, one thing is for certain:
Georgia law is tilted in the dealer's favor if something goes wrong with the car.

After buying a car now deemed unsafe to drive, a Gwinnett County woman says it's time for tougher laws.

"I'm scared every time I get in that car," said Paula Gillespie of the 2004 Nissan Altima she bought at a Snellville used car lot. "I'm very angry. I can't believe they can get away with this.”

The paperwork shows she paid $8,300. In less than 700 miles, the car needed a $3,000 engine repair. An undercarriage tour with dealership technicians showed the engine was only the beginning.

"This car has got bad rot," said Gwinnett Place Nissan service advisor Michael J. Taylor. "There's like a 16- to 18-inch hole -- 6 to 7 inches wide that is just rotted away."

"You're telling me I could put my foot through that like Fred Flintstone?" Strickland asked.

"Correct,” Taylor responded.

The dealership issued a report saying the car was unfit to drive.

"They take those kind of cars and sell them as-is because, in the state of Georgia, they can get away with it," said Gillespie. She is not alone in that opinion.